Month: November 2011

Thanks to a tip-off from Kate Ho yesterday, I’ve been looking at automatically generated writing stats on the 750words website. The accuracy of the analysis I’m not qualified to comment on, but it uses the Regressive Imagery Dictionary (for the emotional analysis), and LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count). It’s a really cute system that … Continue reading Informatics: algebra and philosophy

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Made it back to Edinburgh this week, but with only half a voice so my workshop on using the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey as a way of approaching research project funding applications has been postponed until January. On a brighter note, the university system has finally decided to recognise my existence so I … Continue reading Informatics: iPad envy

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Due to lurgy, I missed my two days in the department last week. In between getting plenty of rest & fluids I wrote a little more of GIL & Ada. Once I'd escaped the duvet I took the camera out and about with me and started filming groups of writers. I have a general interest … Continue reading Informatics: not in the Forum

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Very excited this afternoon- the Sony Bloggie Touch (with 360° lens attachment) arrived and once I’d managed to download the right software for it to work with my Mac, I spent an hour or so filming myself walking around it and waving my hands like fish in a fishbowl. Check out some rudimentary clips from … Continue reading Informatics: arrival of the camera

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Sometimes there are those moments in life when you can’t help but have a little laugh at yourself. That happened to me this afternoon when a friend texted to ask what I was up to and I answered, with complete sincerity, that I was alternating researching salamanders and reading a book about the science of … Continue reading Informatics: how nice it is to be a writer today

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It was all Albrecht’s idea. ‘Free publicity, Donna.’ His eyes narrowed as he blew across the cup of milkless tea. ‘I’d be happy to do it,’ Sasha chimed in. ‘But it just makes so much more sense if it’s you.’ Number six of the ongoing photo/text project Dirty Laundry is now up on Cargo Collective. You … Continue reading Dirty Laundry #6

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Strange how writing-up several days late means you sit and stare at the screen and think ‘what on earth did I actually do on Tuesday?’. Clearly the answer is so much cool stuff I now can’t remember any of it. Working backwards: I spent the early evening at the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance … Continue reading Informatics: Demofest

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When I stepped into Jon’s office this afternoon, there was a spectacular view out of his window of a thick haar rolling across the top of Arthur’s Seat. During the course of our conversation the haar dissolved, leaving behind the shadow of a moon and a slowly reddening sky. As I left, it was pitch … Continue reading Day Eleven in the Forum: can the computer?

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It is becoming increasingly apparent that I should have stuck with basic titles for these blog posts, as I'm starting to run out of things to put behind the semi-colon. The issue of semi-colons and the grammar of academic paper titles was the subject of this afternoon's chat with Jon and Clare, running through the … Continue reading Informatics: what goes here?